The Heart of Ancient Roots Hill Country
Discover Our Farm's Magic: Cozy Yurt Vacations, Joyful Goat Activities, and Wellness Experiences
Owner/Operator
Hi, I'm Elise Parker, a mom and former real estate agent from Austin. With ten years in real estate, I discovered how to effectively create enjoyable functional spaces through thoughtful planning and staging. I learned the value of interior flow and the impact of a well-staged home on its atmosphere and usability.
Being the owner/operator of a real estate office near Zilker Park for over three years, I gained crucial entrepreneurial skills like customer understanding, adaptability, continuous learning, effective communication, and embracing failure as a learning opportunity. In the off-season, I worked as a banquet waitress in luxury resort and conference hotels, gaining experience in high-end dining, useful for our yurt rental business. These experiences fueled my passion for creating resort-style rentals and delivering five-start guest experiences.
I'm currently in classes to be a Feng Shui Consultant, a long time passion of mine that enhances my rentals with positive, healing energy. This ancient practice, focusing on energy flow, aligns with my vision of offering tranquil, stress-reducing vacation spaces. My passion is creating unique spaces that flow with the land and surrounding nature while implementing practical use of the space establishing an effortless flow.
The Farm's Story
My family and I established the farm at Ancient Roots Hill Country in December 2020, following the epidemic and that stressful year we all had. The family was aching to get back to its roots in the family farming and ranching business as well as to seek animal-assisted therapy from farm animals.
The backstory: Our family had all heard about our Parker ancestors, Matilda Parker (who was grandniece to Davy Crockett), and her husband (JH Parker) who began their Texas Hill Country journey back in the 1860s. The stories about them and their eleven children are legendary. The Parker family later became cattle, sheep, and Angora goat ranchers and farmers, many of whom are still in the same business over 150 years later. I recall learning from their descendants about living mindfully and in harmony with nature. I felt the most at peace while at the family's ranch and was always endeared by the friendly Angora goats when I visited. While farming on the land with my grandparents, I felt a sense of being grounded in the cycles of nature which fostered a deep connection to the earth. This inspired our family to move to the Hill Country to seek the simplicity of farm life. Back to our ancient roots.
Where the mind finds solace, and the heart discovers a sanctuary.
Ancient Roots Hill Country's farm started with a dozen hens which we raised in our house at first--- after all, chickens are the gateway to farm animals! Only having had indoor domestic pets, we couldn't imagine putting them outside. It wasn't long before we knew it was time to relocate them outside to the roost in their chicken run in the side yard. We had learned about automatic doors on chicken coops that open at sunrise and close at sunset, so we hooked one up on their chicken coop and promptly trained them to go inside their coop at sunset. It is comical to watch them do their chicken walk up the ramp every evening and watch the door buzz close behind them. They are a lot of fun to watch daily doing their chicken-y thing!
The Animals Arrive!
The next livestock animal we desired to own was a horse for our very own "equine therapy." Matilda, named after our relative, is a reining horse from New Mexico, she has proven to be a gentle and loving horse and still gives us hugs every day. We found that horses are spiritual animals who help to settle the nervous system and give a peace that is unsurpassed.
Our "Three Amigoats" came next. The three goofy male Pygmy-Nigerian Dwarf goats joined our horse to create a unique herd in 2021, although like the chickens, they first lived in our house as well. We allowed them outside in the daytime but every night we brought them into a pen area that we made for them in the laundry room. Dressing these three boy baby goats up in diapers, onesies, and tutus was a fun activity followed with family goat yoga in the "goat room," a spare bedroom we kept only for goat snuggles and yoga. These goats stole our hearts with their humorous antics and friendliness. They still constantly follow us everywhere begging for head scratches and attention.
In 2022, we welcomed the arrival of three female baby goats from a goat breeder nearby and were amazed at how high they could climb up in the trees... at times reaching fifteen feet off the ground! These three graceful and agile goats were dubbed our "Goats in Oaks." In 2023 an abundance of life and activity bustled on the farm. Two of the nannies gave birth to a total of three baby goats, and a month later two more baby female goats joined our herd from another breeder. Finally, in the fall three more baby goats were born on the farm!
We feel now that we are truly living our ancestors farm traditions and we are more connected to our lineage with goat herding--- an ancient practice that dates back to 8000BC. The simplicity of farm life has taught us the relationship with animals imparts a sense of responsibility and companionship, nurturing a bond that transcends words.
The Yurt Arrives!
The Yurt Arrives! Meanwhile, amidst all of the baby goats being born on the farm in 2023, we built a thirty-foot yurt! Back in 2022 we gazed upon our beautiful Hill Country view -- a landscape with open skies and a canvas for tranquility and knew that we had to share with others the serenity we had found.
Living with intent and on a mission, we decided that the only structure we could imagine weaving into the tapestry of the hill country would be something ancient and unique. We loved the circular shape of yurts which promotes a sense of oneness with its occupants. The cozy environment facilitates close connections, making yurts conducive to shared experiences, storytelling, and bonding. What a perfect feature to add to the nurturing embrace of the natural world!
Thus, Ancient Roots Hill Country, LLC was born.
The Permaculture Project
The Permaculture Project on Ancient Roots Hill Country is a huge endeavor that Amanda Jarrel (with some manual labor help from the resident farmers) is starting to work on in March 2024. Learn more about permaculture by visiting our farm's permaculture design which is being implemented to prevent further erosion. Read “Language of the Land,” written by Amanda Jarrel, Permaculture Design Consultant.
Language of the Land
Every place on this home, our planet Earth, that wants to care for us has a story waiting to be read and told. When we connect and learn the language of the land, we begin to be able to read the story. Connecting with the land and all the cycles of life dancing upon it, we can then truly become student stewards and begin to weave our stories together in the book of life. We can do this by building our knowledge of permaculture and applying the principles within the ethics of People Care, Earth Care, and Future Care to the land on whic we live and depend. Come see permaculture in action, up close and personal, and get inspired to learn the language of the land around you! By learning the language of the land and applying permaculture methods within the three ethics, a design is set to be implemented for the property.
Developed from intentional observation of the landform and history, climate, annual rainfall, and soil with the amount of area of the catchment zone, two 100 foot long by 5-6ft wide swales and berm systems are being implemented, alternating fallowing the contour of the slope roughly 75ft apart. This earthwork, when designed and implemented properly, will divert all runoff and sediment within its runoff zone slowing, spreading, and soaking over 380,000 gallons of water annually. The 3ft wide level swale is dug on contour at about 12-18 inches deep or deeper depending on the depth to bedrock. The berm is built by mounding the soil dug out of the swale onto the downhill side following parallel with the swale. The berm’s width is determined by the amount of soil taken out of the swale path and the top of the berm maintaining a height exceeding the height of the hillside above the swale, also known as the back cut. The berm acts as the stopping point for all water and sediment coming downhill, then along the level swale pacifying and soaking into the landscape. This helps to stop further erosion, retain moisture, accumulate fertility, recharge the Edwards-Trinity aquifer and protect any structures below the earthworks. Once the berm is established, it will be stabilized with roots from a community of perennial plants that will continue to feed people and the Earth with biomass for many years.
As we write our life’s stories may we learn to weave them together in partnership by learning to read the language of the land. Come to see the permaculture design being implemented on the property! Partnering with a trained Permaculturist and reading the language of this land, the design begins to root and grow into the beautiful hill country of Boerne, TX in March of 2024!
Our Offerings
We encourage well-being by offering a taste of the "simple life" embraced by nature and shared with farm animals. The luxury yurt accommodations provide an experience in upscale amenities with the serenity of being immersed in nature, making it an ideal retreat for those seeking a distinctive and rejuvenating getaway.
We offer vacation rental of the yurt, weekday and daytime business bookings of the yurt, farm tours with daytime rental of the yurt, and farm animal birthday parties. Seasonally we provide baby goat snuggles packages, goat yoga, farm crafting and summer camps. We have new plans to bring health and wellness practitioners and women's circles to the Ancient Roots Hill Country yurt in summer 2024. Our goal is to provide a supportive environment for a relaxing and rejuvenating stay.
We want nothing more than to share this magical and joyful rhythm of farm life with you.
Come rent the yurt, visit the farm, and meet Matilda, The Three Amigoats and the rest of the herd today!
Yurt Vacations
Escape the hustle-and-bustle and melt your cares away in the hot tub of this exquisite yurt. Filled with little details and special touches to make you feel at home, you'll find farm fresh eggs, banana bread, and homemade goat milk soaps.
Yurt Business Rentals
Team building on a farm is what your company needs! In today's fast-paced business world, it's more important than ever to foster a sense of unity within your team. This is the best way to create a sense of togetherness as well as the pleasures of the joint experience of the yurt's unique space.
Yurt & Farm Field Trips
Farm field trips engage students in exploratory and sensory-based farm activities. Meeting the animals and learning about their needs through the daily rhythms of farm life instills a sense of purpose and routine. This imparts a sense of responsibility and companionship to animals and nature.
Yurt Seminars & Classes
Nestled in the tranquil surroundings of our picturesque farm, we are excited to introduce a series of seminars and classes held in our beautifully crafted Yurt. Our offerings are designed to cater to diverse groups, with a special focus on adults 55+, women veterans, and teen girls.
Yurt Gatherings for Women
The intent for this Women’s Circle is to help women rediscover themselfs. Women want to remember how to be guided by their intuition, how to listen to themselves, how to open themselves, how to receive, and how to fully embrace all the gifts that lie within them.